Tons of seed is falling on the ground and into my flower bed. I believe most is due to birds spitting some seeds out while feeding. Any suggestions?
4099
Birds are messy. We hung our feeder over a patch of unused scrubby grass. It's pretty bald now because we feed our birds regularly. Seeds spill out when I fill the feeder and I'm sure some also get dropped. I suggest hanging the feeder over a piece of ground you don't care about or over some paved portion.
4100
Tons? If you are feeding sunflower seeds the birds are indeed de-hulling them and spitting out the hulls. You may have better luck with black oil sunflower seeds. If you are feeding a mix birds will often discard the millet in favor of the tastier seeds. I have had squirrels jump on the feeder spilling some seeds but they soon get discouraged. This is one of the hazards of bird feeding. If the discards are edible seeds be careful that this does not attract rodents.
4101
I have the same thing here...it is great for squirrels not getting at the food but the seeds will still fall to the ground creating "weeds". I have this in my backyard and there is nothing to prevent it. It drives my husband crazy too because he takes care of the lawn. The seeds fall into the rocks around the pool and create a "weed" type of nuisance.
4102
I don't think there's a remedy for the messy birds. Like you said, they pick through the food to get what they want. I guess you have to move the Feeder. I put ours over a bush, so we don't see the seed all over the place.
4103
I have a mix of seeds and the same thing happens when the bigger birds knock out the seeds they don't want to get to what they do want. The answer is to have several feeders with a different kind of seed in each one. Someday I might do that, but for now, I just watch the squirrels, chipmunks, , doves, and other ground feeders enjoy the spoils!
1487793
See Bob's answer below. Also, FWIW, I have a problem w/ raccoons coming to eat the seeds the birds drop on the ground, so I rigged a light-weight, plastic (plant) tray to hang underneath the feeder (from the Cardinal ring) to catch the seeds. Being able to adjust the sensitivity of the 'closing' option of the feeder allowed me to tighten the spring so that the weight of the tray wouldn't close the feeder's holes. Also, I thought I was going to have to clean the tray of all the dropped seeds, but other birds sit on the edge of the tray and eat the seeds for me. I punched numerous small drain holes in the tray so rain water would flow through. It's a great product. See Bob's answer below. Also, FWIW, I have a problem w/ raccoons coming to eat the seeds the birds drop on the ground, so I rigged a light-weight, plastic (plant) tray to hang underneath the feeder (from the Cardinal ring) to catch the seeds. Being able to adjust the sensitivity of the 'closing' option of the feeder allowed me to tighten the spring so that the weight of the tray wouldn't close the feeder's holes. Also, I thought I was going to have to clean the tray of all the dropped seeds, but other birds sit on the edge of the tray and eat the seeds for me. I punched numerous small drain... » Read More See Bob's answer below. Also, FWIW, I have a problem w/ raccoons coming to eat the seeds the birds drop on the ground, so I rigged a light-weight, plastic (plant) tray to hang underneath the feeder (from the Cardinal ring) to catch the seeds. Being able to adjust the sensitivity of the 'closing' option of the feeder allowed me to tighten the spring so that the weight of the tray wouldn't close the feeder's holes. Also, I thought I was going to have to clean the tray of all the dropped seeds, but other birds sit on the edge of the tray and eat the seeds for me. I punched numerous small drain holes in the tray so rain water would flow through. It's a great product. « Show Less
1908842
I have seen the birds jump around in the seeds covered with sauce and return and return to it. It seems to cause no problems for the birds. Now, the squirrels seem to hate getting it on their paws.
1432561
Sorry, but no, the feeder won't contain all of the seeds. Because the birds tend to fling the seeds and shells around, and the hulls are so light that the slightest breeze will cause them to float out of the feeder, your neighbors will still see the results of the birds using the feeder. I have yet to find a feeder that will keep all of the debris in - except for hummingbird feeders. Here's a thought; if you have a way of attaching an extension pole to the outside edge of your porch (attached to a wall or porch support) and hang your feeder from it, perhaps the distance away from your porch will also keep their porch clean(er). I just purchased the Green Esteem 60500 36" Extended Reach Wall Pole from Amazon in order the keep raccoons out of my feeders. It attaches via a wall bracket and will swing back toward you when you want to refill the feeder. It's very sturdy. Not only did it work for its intended purpose, but a side benefit has been that the deck has been much cleaner, not only of seed debris, but of bird p--p. Good luck.
620980
I don't think so. It spills when reloading. I have found too much seed all over the ground after a few days up for finches.
2048459
No, the seed falls through to the ground. This keeps soggy, rotting seed from collecting and provides seed for the ground feeding birds. At least that's how it works in my yard.
2148624
We had a problem with the rain getting the bird seed wet and then it caked up so that the seeds behind would not flow down. I put an extension of 3 inches on the roof and that has helped keep the seeds dry. Our squirrels can't get the seeds anymore so that part is working great.
1945125
Are you using thistle seed? If not, there's your problem.Take it down and shake it-sometimes the seed gets clumped. It should also be washed and rinsed before using.
1823216
The chipmunks can certainly have a grand time shaking the seeds out onto the ground. Chipmunks are too light weight to activate the spring that closes the feeder. Solution? Get HOT bird seed. I get Cole's Hot Meats. That's the only kind that works for me. Both the squirrels and chipmunks hate it.
560562
There are not any drainage holes at the bottom and it hasn't rained here since I got it so I really am not sure what will happen. However, the birds love it so much there usually isn't any seed left. They also recommend washing the feeder with mild soap & water every couple of weeks so I don't think seed rot should be an issue.
2205395
Believe it or not, my seed stays very dry.....the only seed that can get wet is the small amount in the inner tray but due to a great design, it is very minimal. After rain, I usually use a large nail or some small item to scoop any wet seed out just so it doesn't clump. We are having below freezing temps right now and my feeder is fine and I've experienced no problems whatever!
2027712
Yep, sounds like some dumb birds. I suggest lining the bottom of the tray with some sunflower seed hearts to get them started. I suppose it's possible the seed is no good. Birds are smart about that. Make sure the batch of sunflower seed hearts is not tainted. I've not experienced a problem with sunflower seeds going bad but have several times with thistle in another feeder I have. Good luck! Keep me posted!
1111328
I think some birds cannot sit and reach into the small seed-holding squares,very few birds use ours. However, rain gets in and concretes the seed, has to be dug out. Does keep out squirrels though!
1111327
I am using a premium bird seed I bought at Tractor Supply. I add about 20% sunflower seed to the mix. We are covered up with Chickadees, Wrens, Eastern Towhee's, Cardinals, Finch, Downy Woodpecker, Indigo Bunting and many others I cannot identify. None of them seem to have any problem feeding at the small trough. Have you added the 1/4 inch plastic tubing to the perch as I outlined in my review? That gives the small birds a much better grip on the otherwise slick metal perch. Sometimes I add some Niger seed to the mix but it really does not seem to make much difference. I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina where we have many varieties of small birds. My land is covered with Pine trees so there is lots of spaces for birds to rest. Hope this helps.
1727139
We leave for 2 weeks as well and are always concerned about the water level. We have someone come in and fill it as it evaporates quickly in the winter. The birds need water more than seed. Our feeders run dry almost immediately which saddens us but there is nothing we can do about that. The short answer is I don't know having never allowed it to happen.
2148627
The birds came to mine as soon as I put it up in the same spot I had one before. Did you try adjusting the lever for the tray? Mine is on the second slot from the top. It does take awhile for birds to realize it's there. Unfortunately, the deer sometimes eat all the sunflower seeds before the birds do.
132730
Mine feeder is never kept full all the time. How can it be. Birds keep coming as the contents of the feeder diminishes until it reaches the level at which the birds cannot get to the remaining seeds. I don't see how birds can get "stuck" in the feeder under any conditions.